HISTORY OF AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
The Colusa County Air Pollution Control
District was formed in 1967 under a mandate from the California
Legislature called the Mulford-Carrell Air Resources Act. The Act mandated
that each county in the State have an air pollution control district. The
California Air Resources Board was created by the same legislation.
The first Clean Air Act had been passed
by Congress in 1963.
Primary responsibility for enforcement
of air emission regulations for industry was given to the local air
pollution control districts. While control of motor vehicle emissions was
the purview of the state and federal air quality agencies.
The first Air Quality Standards to
protect public health and welfare were established by California in 1969.
In 1970, Earth Day was first held and
the National Environmental Policy Act and amendments to the federal Clean
Air Act were passed. Also, by presidential reorganization, the United
States Environmental Protection Agency or EPA was created to consolidate
environmental activities at the national level.
AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT
The basic approach in managing air
quality resources is as follows:
Adopt legislation to provide legal
authority
Establish outdoor ambient air quality
standards
Measure pollution concentration levels
in ambient air
Define planning areas and develop an air
quality plan
Determine strategies to achieve and
maintain the standards
Adopt control regulations to reduce
pollution emissions
Enforce air quality laws, rules and
regulations
Evaluate effectiveness of programs in
reaching goals
